A current need exists for a more reliable and proven paperless warehouse management system. The new system must be capable of providing a logical, orderly and thorough method for receiving and shipping material. It must also be flexible enough to allow for production variances to be reconciled easily and efficiently. A need exists for the minimization of labor and loss of product. The ability to enforce accountability among warehouse personnel also needs to be met.
The present invention consists of a Hewlett-Packard Unix-based server, client PCs, client RF (radio-frequency) terminals, and various other peripherals, running warehouse management software developed specifically for high-volume bakeries. The software performs several different tasks.
Inventory is received using real-time handheld RF data terminals. Inventory is received as units, trays, and racks. Both planned and unplanned racks are supported. Production orders and shipping orders are received automatically from the host computer, using a network-based file transfer method. The production orders and shipping orders may be modified remotely or locally. The software permits features within a SKU, such as a customized price.
The software also directs checkers (order pickers), using real-time handheld RF data terminals, to move material from production racks to shipping racks, and updates inventory as orders are picked. Identification numbers (a permanent barcoded label), contents and location of each rack are tracked at all times. Both absolute and approximate storage locations may be used. Parkers are directed using real-time handheld RF data terminals, to move planned and unplanned racks to the shipping areas. Shippers are directed, using real-time handheld RF data terminals, to locate the proper racks for shipment. The software permits the tracking of rack location within a truck.
Additionally, the software generates printed manifests. All shipments are transmitted to the host computer, either immediately when shipped, or as a daily shipment summary. A historical record is kept of all warehouse activity, such as receiving, picking, and other miscellaneous operations, for up to forty (40) days (longer, if more disk space is available). The software maintains up-to-the-moment inventory totals, as well as performing all additional transactions necessary to manage the warehouse. Each transaction is optimized for convenience and speed, minimizing the amount of data entry required.
Personnel, which include auditors, parkers, checkers, shippers and receivers, are equipped with real-time hand-held RF data terminals. The terminals display information, accept keyed entries, and scan bar codes on production lines, racks, warehouse and truck locations, trucks and products. The system has one server and multiple PC""s associated with multiple production lines. The PC""s provide information of product made, batch sequences, expected count, current count and batch complete. The auditor supplies racks to the production line and identifies planned racks (racks full of one SKU for one particular order), marks and places them for movement by the parkers to the shippers. The auditor receives unplanned racks of products, scans the bar code and places the unplanned racks (racks which are not designated for a particular truck) in position for movement to the checkers (order pickers).
The checkers move product from unplanned production racks to shipping racks, scanning the bar codes of the wheeled racks and products and entering amounts as prompted by their terminals, move the completed shipping racks to the truck loading stations, scanning the bar code of the racks and the shipping position. The shippers scan the racks in the shipping position, scan the truck ID and, as prompted by their terminals, roll the racks onto the trucks, position the racks in predetermined positions as prompted, enter the rack position in the truck and scan the rack bar code.
Product received by truck, rather than locally prepared, is received on racks. If a received rack is a planned rack, full of product for one outgoing truck, it is scanned and, as prompted by the receivers""s terminal, moved to a truck loading station. The location bar code is scanned and entered on the receiver""s terminal.
Unplanned received racks which have products for different shipments are scanned and the product bar codes are scanned as prompted by the terminal. Those products are repositioned on shipping racks whose bar codes are scanned. When the shipping racks are complete, the receivers scan the bar codes and move the shipping racks to the truck loading locations and scan the rack and location codes.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, with the claims and the drawings.